Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The last few years I've taken the time to post on Facebook each day in November something I'm thankful for. Some days it's something trivial, other days it's something deep and meaningful. I decided this year I want to better document the things I am thankful for so I'm creating my own mini Gratitude Album. I want you to come play along!!!!

I have learned that the more simple I keep my project the more likely I am to get it done. If I didn't have a plan there is no way I'd finish a 30 day album. To keep it easy, I decided to go the route of using a template. I grabbed Meghan Mullens' and Darcy Baldwins' Count Your Blessings Template Album to use for my 30 day album as well as Meghan Mullens' Count Your Blessing kit so I can add matching elements to keep each page looking fresh. The template provides you with some photo pages and journaling only pages which you can switch up to make the album the way you like it.

I am creating each page digitally and then printing it out on my laser printer on to glossy laser paper. I then trim and mount to cardstock. I'll bind it with book ring. It's going to get thick so I think I'll go front and back once I get past day one.

Here is what my title page and first page look like.

I've been asking my kids to help me think of ideas ahead of time so I have some working ideas in case I can't think of what to scrap each day. I'm also giving myself the permission to scrap a few days ahead so that I am sure I'll finish the project. If I end up with more than 30 things I'm grateful for then that's a bonus for me!

Here are some other ideas of how to make a hybrid graditute mini album -

Use a pre-bound journal and decorate the front cover. Then write a little bit each day about what you are thankful for.

Use a Smashbook and create a collage every few days to show what you are thankful for.

Make 4 x 6 sized pages and send them out to a traditional photo print shop (Walgreens, Shutterfly, etc) and then bind them using a book binding ring.

Use pre-made templates to scrap your gratitude and then send them all to a company to get a photobook made.

You could create art journal pages and then print and put in a pre-purchased 8 x 8 or 12 x 12 album.

If you are looking for another great template Janet Phillip's 30 Days of Thanks templates came out for DSD and they are great! - she gives you a cute way to document the whole month of November in a simple, easy way!

I hope this inspires you to play along with me. Come over to the Sweet Shoppe forum here and link me up to your Gratitude mini album as you make it. I'd love to inspire and encourage each other so we all get this projected completed before December is knocking on our door!

This little Boo box is the perfect size to put in a handful of treats to give to a teacher or co-worker! I made this with In Your Nightmares digital kit by Traci Reed and Jady Day Studios (sweet shoppe) and Kelleigh Ratzlaff's Top Heavy Box template (digichick) which is one of my all time favorite box templates!

This cute little hedgehog box was made for Kelleigh Ratzlaff's online class about papercrafting. It uses her Soap Box template (digichick) and Rotten to the Core by Julie Billingsley and Meghan Mullens (sweet shoppe)

Another fun layout with pics from Hannah's 10th birthday at Disney Quest. I used Zoe Pearn's Live Out Loud kit (sweet shoppe) which is a great mix of neutral/white papers and bright pops of color elements for the perfect mix of traditional Zoe and art journaling.

This very simple layout features a pic from our recent visit to the Mojave Desert. Yeah - it was only 48 degrees in the desert much to our surprise! I used Homemade Memories by Caroline S, Valorie Brown and Flutter Expressions (one story down).

I'm not big on multi-photo layouts, but for the Lillypad Product challenge I couldn't resist. I used Boo-tiful Night digital kit by Erica Zane and Kaye Wineicki (sweet shoppe and lillypad).

This has to be my favorite layout I've made this year!!! This layout features Studio's Basic's Addicted to Lists kits that is free with a $10 purchase at Sweet Shoppe through the end of October 2012. This is my attempt at art journaling and list making thrown together. I think it's a neat way to document what it takes to go out of town on a whirlwind trip.

Finally I have my first page in Hannah's flag football album for this season. Loving the Project Life format - makes it so easy! Now if I can just keep it going. I used lots of goodies from Michelle Godin (Teenage Boy Papers, Varsity Alpha, Handcarved Stamps) plus some pocket pages by Valorie at the Lillypad.

I'm a working mom trying to find the time to be creative and not too crabby. We live in what I call "creative chaos" and have a great time just being a family..............
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